Interactive game floor system and method

ABSTRACT

A system in accordance with present embodiments includes a surface that displays a plurality of images related to a game, a vehicle comprising interface circuitry configured to receive an input from the rider related to a vehicle path on the surface, wherein the vehicle operates according to the input to move on the surface on the vehicle path, and a controller that determines that the vehicle has moved over a first image of the plurality of images while on the vehicle path based on a signal from the vehicle, the surface, an external sensor, or a combination thereof; provides instructions to display circuitry associated with the surface to change the first image when the vehicle has moved over the first image while on the vehicle path; and updates a score associated with the vehicle when the vehicle has moved over the first image while on the vehicle path.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/305,793 entitled “INTERACTIVE GAME FLOOR SYSTEM AND METHOD,” filed onJun. 16, 2014, which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of amusementparks. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relateto methods and equipment used in conjunction with amusement park gamesor rides.

BACKGROUND

Since the early twentieth century, amusement parks (or theme parks) havesubstantially grown in popularity. Ride attractions having vehicles,such as cars or bumper cars, have long been popular. In bumper cars,vehicle riders attempt to “bump” into other vehicles. The vehicles maybe powered via a power source in the ceiling and move within an arena.The vehicles may be painted or patterned according to a particulartheme, and may be able to accommodate one or more riders. With theincreasing sophistication and complexity of modern ride attractions, andthe corresponding increase in expectations among theme or amusement parkpatrons, improved and more creative ride attractions are needed,including ride attractions having more complex vehicle movement andfeatures.

SUMMARY

Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimedsubject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are not intendedto limit the scope of the disclosure, but rather these embodiments areintended only to provide a brief summary of certain disclosedembodiments. Indeed, the present disclosure may encompass a variety offorms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forthbelow.

In accordance with one embodiment, a system includes a surfaceconfigured to display a plurality of images related to a game. Thesystem also includes a vehicle configured to accommodate a rider andcomprising interface circuitry configured to receive an input from therider related to a vehicle path on the surface, wherein the vehicleoperates according to the input to move on the surface on the vehiclepath. Further, the system includes a controller configured to determinethat the vehicle has moved over a first image of the plurality of imageswhile on the vehicle path based on a signal from the vehicle, thesurface, an external sensor, or a combination thereof; provideinstructions to display circuitry associated with the surface to changethe first image when the vehicle has moved over the first image while onthe vehicle path; and update a score associated with the vehicle whenthe vehicle has moved over the first image while on the vehicle path.

In another embodiment, a method includes receiving one or more signalsrelated to a plurality of vehicle positions for a plurality of vehicles.The method also includes assigning a first group of scores to a firstsubset of the plurality of vehicles based on the vehicle positions ofthe first subset relative to a floor surface. Further, the methodincludes assigning a second group of scores to a second subset of theplurality of vehicles based on a location of respective vehicles of thesecond subset relative to respective vehicles of the first subset.

In another embodiment, a controller includes a memory. The memory storesinstructions that when executed, are configured to access a first gamedisplay; provide instructions to display circuitry of a game floorsurface to display the first game display, wherein the first gamedisplay comprises a first game configuration and a first set ofdisplayed images; receive one or more signals indicative of movement ofindividual vehicles on the game floor; and assign scores to the vehiclesbased on the movement and the first game configuration. The controllerfurther includes a processor configured to execute the instructions.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an amusement park attraction including aninteractive game floor in accordance with present techniques;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle on an interactive game floorin accordance with present techniques;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of vehicle interaction with an interactive gamefloor in accordance with present techniques;

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of vehicle interaction with oneanother on an interactive game floor in accordance with presenttechniques;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method for vehicle interaction with aninteractive game floor and one another in accordance with presenttechniques;

FIG. 6 a flow diagram of a method for controlling vehicle interactionwith one another in accordance with present techniques;

FIG. 7 shows a transition between different game configurations on aninteractive game floor in accordance with present techniques;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method for changing a displayedconfiguration on a game floor in accordance with present techniques; and

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an interactive game floor system inaccordance with present techniques.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides an interactive game floor systemincluding one or more ride vehicles configured to move on a game floor.The game floor or game surface forms a game display that the vehiclesinteract with by moving in a path that intersects with (i.e., positionsthe vehicle over) certain displayed images. In one embodiment, drivingover an image earns points for a vehicle based on the score associatedwith the image. Each vehicle includes a vehicle controller configured tocontrol movement of the vehicle on the game floor according to inputfrom the vehicle rider. In this manner, the vehicle rider controls thevehicle path and may interact with the game floor according to a desiredgame experience. Further, in a game with multiple vehicles, the gamevehicles may interact with one another. For example, the game vehiclesmay bump into one another or block the path of another vehicle toprevent particular game actions. Information about the vehicle movementrelative to the floor as well as the bumping and blocking activities maybe provided to a game controller to assign scores for individualvehicles or a team of vehicles. For example, bumping into anothervehicle may earn points for the initiator of the bumping. In anotherembodiment, the bumping may be unscored, but the bumping may prevent anopponent's vehicle from increasing its own score.

The game controller, which may include one or more automation controls,e.g., programmable logic controller (PLC), is connected to and controlsoperations of certain components of the system. For example, the gamecontroller controls the display of images or videos on the game floor.In addition, the game controller is also configured to control certainaspect of individual vehicle motion for any vehicle in the game. In oneembodiment, based on vehicle position information (e.g., position,velocity, and/or direction of travel) for each of a plurality of gamevehicles, the game controller may slow vehicles down to lower speeds inadvance of a bump event or may even prevent an actual bump event. Inaddition, the game controller may designate certain areas of the gamefloor as being excluded from possible vehicle paths. In suchembodiments, even if a vehicle rider provides input to direct thevehicle path onto an excluded area, the game controller overrides theinstruction from the rider and prevents the vehicle from driving onto anexcluded area. Further, the boundary controls may be overridden based oncertain game tasks or goals being achieved, such as when a certain typeof player bumps (i.e., “captures”) another type of player. In such aninstance, the captured player may be returned to a game start point bythe most direct path, regardless of any boundaries.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the system controller mayupdate or change a game configuration, either under game operatorcontrol or based on the skill or performance of the vehicle riders.Because the game floor displays the game features according to aselected configuration, a new configuration may be selected withdifferent boundaries, paths, interactive elements, and/or penalties.This permits a game floor to be reconfigured at will without movingphysical game components. That is, in certain embodiments, the gamefloor may be implemented as a relatively smooth surface. For example, inthe case where game boundaries are defined via display, stopping thedisplay removes the boundaries and allows reconfiguration of permittedvehicle paths as a new display is selected. Accordingly, the interactivegame floor system facilitates flexibility in selecting an appropriategame based on a desired type of game and the skill and number of theplayers.

The disclosed game floor system may be implemented with amusement parkattractions including shows, rides, promotions, and so forth. Byemploying the game floor system in conjunction with particular themes,such as traditional video games, guests are incentivized to visit theamusement park and are further enabled to enjoy the thematic experienceprovided by the amusement park. Further, because the interactive gamefloor system is flexible, one game arena may be configured to host gameshaving a number of different themes.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of aninteractive game floor system 10 in accordance with the presentdisclosure. The interactive game floor system 10 can includes one ormore game vehicles 12. In the illustrated embodiment, two vehicles 12 aand 12 b are positioned and configured to move on a game floor 14. Thesystem 10 includes a game controller 16 that is communicatively coupledto the vehicle/s and the game floor 14 and that receives vehicleposition information. An operator interface 20 controls vehicle movementand direction on the game floor and may include, for example, a steeringwheel, brake and gas pedals, a joystick, a display screen, one or morebuttons, etc. The passenger seat 22 may accommodate one or more vehicleriders 24. In certain embodiments, when multiple riders 24 are presentin a single vehicle 12, the operator interface 20 may provide splitcontrol to both riders. For example, one rider 24 may control rotationor direction of the vehicle 12 while the other rider 24 controls thespeed.

The game floor 14 may be configured to display game images and may be aself-illuminated surface. In one embodiment, the game floor 14 is an LCDor LED display surface that is configured to respond to inputs from avehicle 12. The game floor 14 may be part of an arena or other gamelocation. Further, the game floor 14 may include additional components,such as sensors, that facilitate position tracking of the vehicles 12.

The depicted game floor system 10 includes two vehicles 12 a and 12 bwith respective riders 24 a and 24 b. Depending on the type of gameconfiguration, the riders 24 a and 24 b may be competing on opposingteams or may be working together to accomplish a joint goal. Forteam-based play, the vehicles 12 may be scored individually as well ascumulatively. The game floor 14 has a displayed game configuration 28that includes interactive elements 30. The interactive elements 30 mayalso include one or more bonus elements 32 that may or may not bedisplayed with a different image relative to the other interactiveelements 30. The interactive elements may be displayed with any size,shape, or color, depending on theme of the game. For example, for apirate-themed game, the interactive elements 30 may be displayed astreasure items, such as gold or jewels. There may be any number ofinteractive elements 30, depending on the game goals. The game floor 14may also include additional displayed elements that are not interactivebut that contribute to the overall theme or aesthetic effect of thegame.

The depicted game configuration 28 also includes boundaries 34, such asboundaries defining a maze with a permitted vehicle path area 36. In oneembodiment, the boundaries 34 are displayed in a different color thanother game elements to permit easy identification by the riders 24. Asnoted, the boundaries 34 are not physical boundaries and are displayedimages on the game floor 14. However, in certain embodiments, the system10 may include physical components, including physical representationsof items or characters that are part of particular games or physicalboundaries. The vehicles 12 are prevented from driving on or over theboundaries 34 by one or more of a vehicle control or a game controlsystem, as provided herein. The system 10 may also includes a game startarea 38, which is adjacent to a rider loading area 40 for each vehicle12 in the illustrated embodiment.

In operation, the game system (e.g., the game system 10 of FIG. 1)starts the game and the riders 24 drive their vehicles 12 onto the gamefloor 14. While FIG. 1 depicts a two-player game, it should beunderstood that the techniques disclosed herein may be applied to gameswith one or more vehicles 12. As each rider 24 operates his respectivevehicle 12 on the game floor 14, their score may be determined based onthe vehicle interaction with the game floor 14 and the path of thevehicle 12 with the allotted game time.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicles 12 a and 12 b and theirrespective riders 24 a and 24 b. The riders 24 drive their vehicles 12along the floor 14 to particular areas 42 (which, for example, may bedefined by grid lines 42 that may or may not be displayed on the floor14) associated with interactive elements 30 are displayed. Once thevehicle 12 drives over the interactive element 30, it changes (e.g.,changes color) or disappears from the floor display to indicate a pointcollection. The operator interface 20 may include a display screen 46for reproducing the real-time interactive floor display, and may alsoinclude displayed avatars 48 for each vehicle 12. Based on the desiredtype of game, the vehicles 12 may be configured to resemble particulartheme characters from popular games, video games, movies, or TV shows.,in one example

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method 50 of assigning scores to one ormore riders 24 based on their vehicle paths during game play. The method50 may be performed entirely or in part by a game floor controller asprovided herein using control logic or programming (e.g., via controller16). At block 52, a controller receives one or more signals with vehicleposition information. The position information may be absolute positionin space, from which a position relative to the game floor 14 isdetermined or may include relative position information, e.g., aposition of a vehicle 12 relative to the game floor 14, provided bysensing components associated with the game floor 14 or by acamera-based detection system. After a vehicle position relative to thegame floor 14 is determined at step 52, the method 50 determines if thevehicle 12 is positioned over a scoring location on the game floor 14.For example, a scoring location may be coincident with the location ofany or a certain subset of displayed interactive elements 30. If thevehicle 12 is positioned over the scoring location, a score assigned tothe vehicle 12 is updated according to the point value of the scoringlocation at step 58. In this manner, a vehicle 12 may capture aninteractive element 30. If the location is not positioned over a scoringlocation, the score is unchanged at step 60. The method 50 tracks theprogress of the game and the scores of particular vehicles 12 and/orriders 24 by returning to step 52 to process new position information asthe vehicles 12 cover the game floor 14 during game play.

The interactive elements 30 may be associated with positive or negativepoint scores. In addition, the bonus elements 32 may have elevated pointscores. Alternatively, a bonus element 32 may permit the vehicle 12 thatcaptured the bonus element 32 (i.e., drove over it), to have specialprivileges in the game relative to other game players. For example, thatvehicle 12 may be permitted to exceed certain speed thresholds relativeto other vehicles in the game, change previously-defined roles withinthe game (e.g., change from prey to predator or vice versa), or enterpreviously excluded areas of the game floor 14. In one embodiment, thegame system 10 may enter a special game round upon capture of a bonuselement 32 (or based other performance metrics, such as achieving aparticular point score, remaining bump free for a period of time, orbumping a certain number of vehicles) by a vehicle 12. The special gameround may include additional displayed effects from the game floor 14(e.g., flashing boundaries 34 or a change in the color scheme of allelements displayed, including the boundaries 34 and the interactiveelements 30) as well as effects on the vehicles 12, such as lighteffects, a change in vehicle configurations or permissions (e.g.,switching all prey cars to predator cars and vice versa, slowingparticular game vehicles 12 and/or speeding up other vehicles 12), andspecial effects or bonus information (e.g., game clues or specialmessages) displayed on the individual vehicle display screens 46. Uponexpiration of the special game round, the game floor 14 may return tothe normal configuration.

After an interactive element 30 has been captured by a vehicle 12 (i.e.,driven over for the first time in the game), the controller 16 providesinstructions to the game floor 14 to change the display at thatlocation. In an example in which the interactive elements 30 aredisplayed in a particular color, a captured interactive element may bedisplayed in a different color. Alternatively, a captured interactiveelement 30 may disappear from the game floor display. In addition todisplayed changes, the interactive elements 30 may be configured toassign their associated point score only upon first capture and not toother vehicles that subsequently drive over the location of a capturedinteractive element 30. However, in certain embodiments, an interactiveelement 30 may be configured to change into a different type ofinteractive element 30 upon capture, which may then be captured byanother vehicle 12.

In addition to or instead of scoring via interactive elements 30,vehicles that are in a multi-vehicle game may also interact with oneanother to score points. While the game system 10 may be configured sothat individual vehicles 12 are competing against all other vehicles 12in a traditional bumper cars game, more complex game play is alsocontemplated. As shown in FIG. 4, a game may be configured so thatvehicles of type 1 (marked as 1) are all on a first team and vehicles oftype 2 (marked as 2) are all on a second team. One object of the gamemay be to “bump” into the opposing team's vehicles. A bump may bedesignated as a distance between two vehicles on opposing teams that isless than a predetermined threshold such that actual physical contactbetween any two vehicles 12 can be avoided. Vehicles 12 on opposingteams that are a distance d₁ that is greater than the threshold from oneanother may not be considered to be bumped and, therefore, may notexperience a change in point total while vehicles that are a distance d₂from one another that is less than the threshold may experience anincrease in their point total. Further, the game system 10 may also beconfigured to distinguish same team bumping (i.e., vehicles from thesame team that are a distance d₃ apart that is less than the bumpthreshold). Bumping may also be determined via entry into an impact zoneof a vehicle 12. The impact zone may be defined by an imaginary circlearound the vehicle 12 with the radius of the bump safe distance, or maybe the regions (e.g., in front of and in back of the vehicle 12) on thepath that are covered by such circle.

In one embodiment, the game may be configured so that certain roles areassigned to certain vehicles 12. For example, in one embodiment, onlyone team is the bumping team (i.e., the predator team) whose object isto bump the other team (i.e., the prey team), who in turn have adifferent game goal involving the interactive elements 30. FIG. 5 is aflow diagram of a method 80 of scoring such a game configuration. Atstep 82, a controller, i.e., a game controller 16, receives positioninformation for a first subset of vehicles corresponding to the preyteam and a second subset of vehicles corresponding to the predator team.To score the first subset, the method 80 determines the position of eachvehicle in that subset relative to the game floor 14 at step 84 andassigns the score accordingly at step 86. For example, the score for anindividual vehicle 12 may be assigned based on whether the positioncorresponds to an interactive element 30 available for capture. The moreinteractive elements 30 a particular vehicle 12 passes over (captures),the more points assigned to that vehicle 12 and/or the associated team.The method 80 may determine scores for individual vehicles 12 as well asa team score for the prey team. Scores are updated as the vehicle pathsprogress over the game floor 14 and the method 80 returns to step 82.

For the predator team, after determining position information at step 90for each vehicle in the second subset relative to each vehicle in thefirst subset, the scores are assigned at step 92 based on whether any ofthe vehicles in the second subset are within the bumping distancethreshold. In addition to or instead of being determined by positioninformation, bumping may also be determined by other sensors, such asimpact sensors associated with each vehicle 12. Again, the scores updatethroughout the game as the method returns to step 82 to assess bumpingas the vehicles 12 move on the game floor 14.

In one embodiment, the prey team does not receive points or insteadreceives a penalty for initiating or receiving a bump from any vehicle,including their own teammates. That is, the prey team may only score viathe interactive elements 30. Similarly, the predator team may receive ascore for bumping only an opposite team member and not a teammate. It isalso envisioned that bumps may be unscored, but that the predator teammay win by preventing the prey team from achieving a particular scoregoal. Further, the bumped prey vehicle may have a penalty assessed, suchas a point deduction or other penalty (e.g., a frozen vehicle for acertain amount of time, a system override to return the vehicle to thegame start or game loading site before the rider can control the vehicleagain). By configuring a game for prey and predator teams, the gamegoals are more complex relative to a simple bumper cars game where anyother vehicle is a potential target for bumping. That is, the preyvehicles have the incentive to avoid the predator team to avoid beingbumped to in turn achieve higher point totals.

Further, the game system 10 may also mediate vehicle speed on the gamefloor 14 to allow cars to increase their speed to relatively high levelsso long as no other vehicle is within a threshold distance. In thismanner, the vehicle speed variability may be greater relative totraditional bumper cars games. The system 10 may also control vehiclespeed when vehicles 12 are close to one another, regardless of any teamdesignation. FIG. 6 is flow diagram of a method 100 of controllingvehicle speed in the game. Using the vehicle position informationreceived at step 102, the controller determines if any two vehicles 12are within a predetermined distance of one another at step 104 andprovides override instructions to slow the vehicle speed for any twovehicles 12 too close to one another at step 106. While the vehicles 12may bump into one another, the bump is controlled. Alternatively, thecontroller may provide instruction to control the speed and position oftwo vehicles 12 involved in a potential bump so that the actual vehicles12 are prevented from impact. However, both vehicles may simulate thefeel of an impact with additional vehicle features (e.g., vibration,impact sounds, jerking motion, etc.) that are controlled via the gamecontroller or the vehicle controller. Such an embodiment may preventimpact wear to the vehicles 12.

By providing certain features of the game via the game floor 14, thesystem 10 may be reconfigured by changing the displayed images. FIG. 7is an example of a single vehicle 12 configuration 110 on a game floor14 that transitions to a multi-vehicle 12 configuration 112, withdifferent boundaries 34 and interactive elements 30. In someembodiments, additional vehicles 12 or participants may be virtuallypresented on the floor 14 or physical vehicles 12 may be activated andcontrolled by the controller 16 and/or by player-controlled remotecontrollers. As shown in the flow diagram of FIG. 8, the method 120 ofconfiguring and reconfiguring the game floor 14 may include a step 122of accessing a first game display having a first configuration from aset of stored game configurations and displaying the first game displayon a game floor surface at step 124. After the first game configurationis played and the game information is received at step 126, the firstgame display is cleared at step 128 upon operator instructions to changethe game display or based on the game information. For example, if theplayers achieve a certain score, the system accesses a second gamedisplay having a second game configuration at step 130 and displays thesecond game display at step 132.

In another embodiment, the game display may be selected based on thenumber of riders 24 and corresponding vehicles 12 and/or the skill ofthe game players. For example, an amusement park may track playerprogress over the course of park visits in various games, e.g., via acard or mobile device. When a player or group of players returns to agame, the game controller 16 may select a game display based onpreviously played games. In this manner, a single game location iscapable of providing challenges for more experienced players as well asnovice players. Further, for games played with a mix of player skilllevels, the game controller 16 may introduce additional challenges formore advanced players.

As shown in FIG. 9, which is a block diagram of the system 10, thetechniques disclosed herein may be used in conjunction with one or morecomponents of the system 10, including the vehicle 12, the game floor14, and the game controller 16. To provide movements of the vehicle 12,the vehicle 12 includes a motor 138 and a brake 140. The movements ofthe vehicle 12 may include running (e.g., acceleration, deceleration),turning, and stopping of the vehicle 12. The motor 138 may be powered byany suitable power source 142, including, but not limited to, a battery,a solar panel, an electrical generator, a gas engine, or any combinationthereof. The operations of the motor 138 and the brake 140 may becontrolled by the vehicle controller 150. For example, the vehiclecontroller 150 may control the motor 138 to adjust its output power toaccelerate or decelerate the vehicle 12. The vehicle controller 150 mayalso control the brake 140 to decelerate or stop the vehicle 12.Further, the vehicle controller 150 may operate under instructions fromthe rider via the operator interface 20 (e.g., to steer the vehiclebased on operator control of a steering wheel or joystick) or from thegame controller 16, which may override rider instructions.

The vehicle 12 may include a position tracking system 154 for monitoringits position on the game floor 14. In one embodiment, the positiontracking system 154 interacts with sensors 155 in the game floor 14.Each sensor 155 represents a unique location (e.g., coordinates relativeto one or more reference points) on the floor 14. In such an embodiment,the vehicle position tracking system 154 includes a reader that maysense the sensor 155 to provide the position information of the vehicle12. The reader then supplies the position information to the vehiclecontroller 154, which in turn provides the information to the gamecontroller 16. The vehicle 12 may include a communication module 156 tofacilitate communication with the game controller 16. Based on feedbackfrom the game controller 16, the vehicle 12 may also display gameinformation via a display module 160 coupled to a display screen (e.g.,display screen 46 in FIG. 2). Game information may include a vehiclescore as well as a team score, a representation of the game floor 14(e.g., a 2D dynamic graphical display including the current gameconfiguration and vehicle positions on the game floor 14 as well as anyavailable interactive elements 30).

The game controller 16 and the vehicle controller 150 may includevarious components that may allow for interaction with the vehicle 12and the display circuitry 170 of the game floor 14. While these elementsare discussed in the context of the game controller 16, it should beunderstood that the vehicle controller 150 and the game floor 14 mayinclude similar components. The vehicle controller 16 may include adistributed control system (DCS) or any computer-based workstationincluding an input/output interface 174 and a display 176 and that isfully or partially automated. For example, the vehicle controller 16 maybe any device employing a general purpose or an application-specificprocessor 180. The vehicle controller 16 may also include a memorydevice 182 for storing instructions executable by the processor 38 toperform the methods and control actions described herein for the vehicle12. The processor 180 may include one or more processing devices, andthe memory 182 may include one or more tangible, non-transitory,machine-readable media. By way of example, such machine-readable mediacan include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical diskstorage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or anyother medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code inthe form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and whichcan be accessed by the processor 180 or by any general purpose orspecial purpose computer or other machine with a processor. In addition,the game controller 16 may be configured to communicate over wired orwireless communication paths with the game floor 14 and the vehicle 12.

In one embodiment, data is transferred between the game controller 16,the game floor 14, and the vehicle controller 150 at least in part via awireless network. The vehicle controller 150 may transfer dataindicative of the status of the vehicle to the game controller 16. Suchdata may include a vehicle identifier for an individual vehicle 12 andassociated position, velocity, impact zone, traveling direction, motoroutput power, loading condition, or the like. Based on the received datafrom the vehicle controller 150, the game controller 16 may sendinstructions to the vehicle controller 150 to control the movement ofthe vehicle 12. For example, the game controller 16 may compare theimpact zones of all ride vehicles in the course to determine if any ofthe two ride vehicles have collided based on their traveling velocities,current positions on the game floor 14, and traveling directions. If so,the game controller 16 may, for example, update a game score and controlvehicle speed. In accordance with the present disclosure, the gamecontroller 16 may control each of a plurality of ride vehiclesindependently.

The system 10 may determine vehicle position via the position trackingsystem 154 that interacts with sensors 155 on or in the game floor 14 orother suitable techniques for determining vehicle position. For example,the system 10 may include an external sensor 190, such as a camera, thattracks the positions of the vehicles 12 and provides data to the gamecontroller 16. In addition, the vehicle 12 may include transmitters,such as RFID transmitters, that provide signals to the game controller16 and that may be used to determine position information. Further,while the disclosed embodiments have been described in the context ofvehicles 12, in other embodiments, the game players may interactdirectly with the game floor 14. In such an embodiment, game players maywear watches or other objects that can incorporate position indicatingdevices. Alternatively, player location may be determined via theexternal sensor 190.

While only certain features of the present embodiments have beenillustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes willoccur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understoodthat the appended claims are intended to cover all such modificationsand changes as fall within the true spirit of the present disclosure.Further, it should be understood that certain elements of the disclosedembodiments may be combined or exchanged with one another.

1. A system, comprising: a plurality of vehicles; a surface configuredto display a plurality of images and support the plurality of vehicles;and a controller configured to: assign a first set of game rules to afirst subset of the plurality of vehicles, the first set of game rulesbeing associated with a first role in a game, wherein the first subsetis configured to accumulate a first score according to the first set ofgame rules; and assign a second set of game rules to a second subset ofthe plurality of vehicles, the second set of game rules being associatedwith a second role in the game, wherein the second subset is configuredto accumulate a second score according to the second set of game rules,and wherein the second set of game rules are different than the firstset of game rules.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller isconfigured to activate first special effects associated with the firstrole and second special effects associated with the second role, whereinthe first special effects are different from the second special effects.3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first special effects and thesecond special effects comprise vehicle light effects.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the controller is configured to at least provideinstructions to increase a speed of one or more vehicles of the firstsubset according to the first set of game rules or to provideinstructions to decrease a speed of one or more vehicles of the secondsubset according to the second set of game rules.
 5. The system of claim1, wherein the first role comprises a predator role and the second rolecomprises a prey role.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first scoreis accumulated based on a position of one or more vehicles of the firstsubset relative to one or more vehicles of the second subset.
 7. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein the second score is accumulated based on aposition of one or more vehicles of the second subset relative to thesurface.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second score isaccumulated based on whether the position of the one or more vehicles ofthe second subset overlaps with an image of the plurality of imagesdisplayed by the surface.
 9. A method, comprising: assigning a firstrole to a first subset of a plurality of vehicles, wherein the firstrole is associated with a first set of game rules; assigning a secondrole to a second subset of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the secondrole is associated with a second set of game rules, and wherein thefirst method and the second method are different; and switching thefirst role and the second role such that the first role is assigned tothe second subset and the second role is assigned to the first subset.10. The method of claim 9, wherein switching the first role and thesecond role is triggered by a vehicle within the first subset acquiringa bonus according to the first set of game rules.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising displaying a plurality of interactiveelements via a game floor, wherein the plurality of interactive elementscomprise a bonus element, and wherein acquiring the bonus comprisesdetermining that the vehicle has occupied a position on the game floorcorresponding to the bonus element.
 12. The method of claim 10, whereinacquiring the bonus comprises the vehicle of the first subset achievinga particular point score according to the first set of game rules. 13.The method of claim 10, wherein acquiring the bonus comprises thevehicle of the first subset bumping a certain number of other vehiclesof the second subset of the plurality of vehicles according to the firstset of game rules.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein acquiring thebonus comprises the vehicle of the first subset remaining bump-free fromother vehicles of the second subset of the plurality of vehicles for aperiod of time.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first role isassociated with first vehicle special effects and the second role isassociated with second vehicle special effects, and wherein switchingthe first role and the second role comprises switching the first vehiclespecial effects and the second vehicle special effects.
 16. The methodof claim 15, wherein the first vehicle special effects comprise firstvehicle lighting effects, first vehicle speed thresholds, first vehicledisplay information displayed via respective vehicle displays of theplurality of vehicles, or any combination thereof, and wherein thesecond special effects comprise second vehicle lighting effects, secondvehicle speed thresholds, second vehicle display information displayedvia the respective vehicle displays of the plurality of vehicles, or anycombination thereof.
 17. A system comprising: a surface configured todisplay a plurality of images related to a first game; a first vehicleconfigured to move along a vehicle path on the surface; and a controllerconfigured to: determine that the first vehicle has moved over a firstimage of the plurality of images while on the vehicle path; and provideinstructions to display circuitry associated with the surface to changethe first image when the first vehicle has moved over the first imagewhile on the vehicle path.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein thesurface is configured to display a second plurality of images related toa second game.
 19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a secondvehicle configured to move along the vehicle path on the surface,wherein the controller is configured to: increase a first score of thefirst vehicle when the first vehicle has moved over the first image;determine that the second vehicle has moved within a predetermineddistance threshold from the first vehicle; and increase a second scoreof the second vehicle when the second vehicle has moved within thepredetermined distance threshold from the first vehicle.
 20. The systemof claim 17, wherein the first vehicle is configured to accommodatemultiple riders, and wherein the first vehicle is configured to providesplit control of the first vehicle to the multiple riders.